As operations director for an exhibition organiser, John Woods is responsible for all the logistics involved with staging 20 to 25 consumer and trade shows across Australia, and another 15 in New Zealand, every year.

"That's the pre-show planning, build up, move in, the security … everything short of marketing and selling the event," he explains.

"Something always goes wrong," says John, and because he's working so far ahead, that means he's planning and worrying for a year or more about "all the worst case scenarios".

This chronic fretting takes its toll. Apart from sometimes having a shorter fuse with his wife and kids, John's health suffers occasionally. A few years ago, he got shingles, a stress-related outbreak of blisters triggered by the same virus that causes chickenpox.

John knows from experience that a session in the gym can make him feel "elated. Exercise just puts things in perspective." The problem is finding the time, especially before a show when he's working 18 to 20-hour days.

"We have no choice," he says. "It's the industry. The boss is very sympathetic but it can be a case of, "if it's too hot in the kitchen, get out".

Stress at work

John's not the only one stressing out at work. Indeed, work-related stress causes a significant amount of ill health  even death  and lost productivity.

In Australia, stress-related conditions are the leading cause of 'sickies', which means the cost of illness due to stress at work probably runs into billions.

According to Sydney psychologist Dr Sarah Edelman, "we feel stressed when we perceive that the demands being made of us are greater than the resources we have to deal with them. In other words, when we are no longer in control."

While it's true that some people can cope better than others under identical stressful circumstances, at some point even those individuals with higher stress resilience will reach their individual limit and buckle.

Associate Professor Anthony LaMontagne is a workplace health specialist from the University of Melbourne. He says that many people wrongly believe that job stress afflicts only weak people.

"In some instances that might be the case. But on a population level, that's not the case at all."

In fact, the real problem is working conditions such as too much work, lack of control, job insecurity, inadequate training and unrealistic goals and targets. Unfortunately, this means there's only so much you alone can do about it. Your boss needs to be involved in the process too.

LaMontagne says there are three basic ways to intervene on job stress: by targeting working conditions, workers, or illnesses.

The tendency, he says, is to target workers. And while LaMontagne agrees there's some benefit in lunchtime yoga classes and stress management seminars, it's not enough.

"The evidence says these worker-directed interventions quickly reach their limit if stressful working conditions aren't addressed."

To really protect workers from stress, LaMontagne recommends employers develop approaches both at the individual and organisational levels.

"They can give workers more say in how their work gets done, ensure that job demands are reasonable, and provide workers with adequate resources."

Workers can be proactive too. LaMontagne points out that Occupational Health and Safety laws give employees the right to speak out about working conditions without retribution from their employer.

"Where there are good labour-management relations, reasonable workplace demands can be negotiated," he says.

"Workers can ask for a specific job description, or if they're concerned about speaking out, they can use their workplace OH&S representatives or go through their union."

What is stress?

A little stress in our lives is actually good for us. It can motivate us and trigger that 'flight or fight' response, providing an extra surge of energy to explore new horizons and face challenges.

In fact, stress evolved as a response to the physical threats humans once faced daily, like predators. "It readied the body for confrontation," says Professor Fabienne Mackay at Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

As Mackay explains, the prehistoric mammoth and the modern car crash are similar. In both scenarios, the adrenal glands produce adrenalin and cortisol  hormones that prepare our muscles for action by increasing heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. Once the acute threat passes, this heightened state of arousal subsides.

But what if the threat persists, and stress hormones remain elevated in the body? Experts have proven that chronic stress plays a role in many psychological and physiological ailments, some of them life threatening. These include depression, anxiety, allergies, digestive disorders, heart disease and cancer.

So it makes sense to try and beat stress before it causes serious harm.

Stress at home

Workplace stressors get a lot of attention because many of us spend a big chunk of our time in an office. Yet stressors on the domestic front are just as serious. Single parents and carers, in particular, often feel like they're losing control in the face of huge demands.

"Jayden used to attack me," recalls Joy Roze, describing the behaviour of her youngest son. "He'd punch, spit and pull my hair like a wild animal."

When Joy left the boys' father 13 years ago, she became their sole carer. With little money and virtually no support, life wasn't easy. During this period, Joy struggled with depression and anxiety, and stacked on the weight.

Sadly, Joy's experience is typical. In October 2007, Deakin University released the findings of a study assessing the health and wellbeing of 4000 carers. Their report showed 56 per cent are moderately depressed, compared with six per cent in the general population. It also showed more than one-third of carers are severely depressed.

The report's author, Professor Bob Cummings, detailed the finding to ABC Radio's PM program. "People who were unemployed on low income, without a partner, these were the kinds of people with very low wellbeing," he said.

"For many of these people, if this is a 24 hour-a-day, seven-day a week business that they're engaged in, many of them really have difficulty in escaping from the house … and this means that they have limited opportunities for friendships and social support."

Joy is only now finding her feet. Recently Brenton got a job and his driver's licence, making him less dependent on her, and Jayden went to live with his grandfather. Prior to this, looking after herself was Joy's greatest challenge.

They may have fewer options than the rest of us, but carers  and there are 2.6 million of them in Australia  can still develop resources that enable them to handle their extreme circumstances better.

Joy used the little downtime she had to do things that gave her pleasure and support  chatting to other singles on the internet, soaking in a warm bath, or reading autobiographies: because "it helped knowing about other people's traumas".

"Whatever the stressor, be it too much housework or a baby that won't stop crying, there must be something in that person's day that gives them pleasure, even if it's just a cup of tea and reading a magazine," says Nicole Highet, Deputy CEO at beyondblue.

For carers, Highet recommends respite services that offer weekends away and health support groups, where people can meet and share with others in the same boat. They can ask their doctor for more information, visit the beyondblue website, or call beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 for advice.

Take control

It's still rare in Australia for employers to invite 'corporate stressbusters' into the workplace. So what can individuals do, both at home and at work, to come up with their own strategies for dealing with stress?

According to Edelman, dealing with stress means regaining control over our situation.

"This may be done mentally, by changing the way we think about the problem, or behaviourally, by taking some action towards resolving the problem," she says.

"Taking action gives us a feeling of control, even in situations where we can't make a big difference to the outcome."

Of course, different situations require different remedies: for instance, a conciliatory letter to resolve an interpersonal conflict, a change of lifestyle to overcome ill health, a session with a financial planner to learn monetary restraint.

"The very act of planning and executing a strategy creates a sense of being in control, and reduces feelings of helplessness and frustration," she says.

It's this process of solving problems that puts you back in the driver's seat.

Top 10 stress busters

Exercise regularly

Learn some simple relaxation or meditation techniques

Do something every day that gives you pleasure

At work, avoid unreasonable deadlines and minimise boring or repetitive work

Leave work as early as your workplace allows

Don't regularly take work home

Say 'no' more often

Get colleagues and family members to help with burdensome tasks

Talk to a doctor, counsellor, friend or religious adviser

Postpone major life changes, such as moving house or changing jobs, until you're feeling better.

Learn positive self-talk

I have to be perfect.Something bad might happen so I'll worry about it now just in case.People must love me no matter what.If something goes wrong that I could have prevented, it is my fault.This is a disaster!

If this sounds like you, no wonder you're stressed. According to Edelman, thinking patterns like these  including a tendency to exaggerate the impact of events, or 'catastrophise'  mean that you're likely to experience even minor personal failings and problems as major setbacks. And because you worry about the future, there's no let-up  even when things are going well.

The antidote is cognitive behaviour therapy, a major approach in psychology based on the premise that negative feelings and emotions are created by our irrational thoughts and beliefs.

Part of the treatment involves identifying and challenging these thoughts with what Edelman describes in her book Changing Your Thinking as 'rational disputing statements', such as "I'm an imperfect human being like everyone else", "Why should everybody love me? I don't love everybody", and "Will this really matter in five years time?"

Fortunately the plethora of books on the subject, courses available and therapists trained in the discipline, make it easier for people who are interested in developing these positive self-talk skills. Edelman also recommends MoodGYM, a free online self-help program for people vulnerable to depression and anxiety.

Slow breathing exercise

Have you noticed that you're breathing too fast? Stress and anxiety can affect your heart rate and breathing patterns. A relaxed breathing rate is usually 10 to 12 breaths per minute.

Practise this exercise three to four times a day when you're feeling stressed or anxious so that you can use this as a short-term coping strategy.

Time the number of breaths you take in one minute. Breathing in, then out is counted as one breath.

Breathe in, hold your breath and count to five. Then breathe out and say the word 'relax' to yourself in a calm, soothing manner.

Start breathing in through your nose and out slowly through your mouth, in a six-second cycle. Breathe in for three seconds and out for three seconds. This will produce a breathing rate of 10 breaths per minute. In the beginning, it can be helpful to time your breathing using the second hand of a watch or clock.

Count to yourself.

Continue breathing in a six-second cycle for at least five minutes or until the symptoms of overbreathing have settled.

After practising this exercise, time the number of breaths you take in one minute. Practise the slow breathing exercise each day before breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime. Use the technique whenever you feel anxious. Gradually, you'll be familiar enough with the exercise to stop timing yourself.

Take time out

Other tried and true stress breakers include regular exercise, deep relaxation and meditation.

It sounds obvious to take time out to rejuvenate, but the lives many people lead are seriously out of whack. Work is often to blame, stealing more and more of our precious free time. As a result, we see less of our friends and family, do little if any exercise, consume more fast food and put off having fun.

"Spending time and energy on a variety of pursuits is much healthier than putting all your eggs in one basket," says Edelman.

"Family life or work might be really stressful but if it's only one part of a full life, it'll have less of an impact than it would if your whole life was dominated by that one issue."

Therefore striking a balance must be a priority. The perfect life mix combines a number of elements:

work, or a stimulating interest or hobby

play, including relaxation and occasional treats and indulgences

supportive family and friends

health and fitness, including exercise, a healthy diet and plenty of sleep

meaning, whether you get this from volunteering for a good cause or having a spiritual belief.

It doesn't matter what you're stressing about, Edelman believes that in most cases, a solution can be found. If you're spending too much time at work and neglecting the rest of your life, your strategy might simply be to leave the office half an hour earlier every evening  and to cut some corners during your working day to make that possible.

Not that every situation lends itself to an easy fix.

"Here brainstorming helps," advises Edelman, "along with asking others, such as a friend or counsellor, for suggestions. When you've considered all options, the next step is to identify clear, achievable goals.